The present invention relates to shutters which swing between an open and a closed position at a window to be covered by the shutters. In particular, the invention relates to means to level the shutters when they are swung to a closed position.
Window covering shutters are becoming more and more popular. A particularly desirable type of shutter is one which hinges open and closed relative to the window and which often includes movable louvers for varying degrees of privacy when the shutter is in the closed position.
The above types of shutters have been available for many years in a wooden construction. More recently they have become available with a plastic construction.
These swinging shutters have laterally displaced vertical stiles including a first stile which is hingedly secured to the shutter frame and a second stile located at the free edge of the shutter which swings away from and back into the shutter frame as the shutter is being opened and closed.
It is often difficult to hang this shutter such that it closes in a level position i.e., a position where it is properly aligned with the frame. Typically the second stile along the free edge of the shutter will have a tendency to drop downwardly relative to the more fixed first stile. The problem increases over time with use of the shutter hinges.
The problem of an improperly leveled shutter is particularly noticeable when the window covering includes a pair of side by side shutters which swing open and close relative to one another.
The present invention provides an end cap assembly to be inserted at the base of a vertical stile of a swinging window shutter to provide an adjustable leveling of the shutter.
More particularly, the end cap assembly of the present invention comprises a cap body which fits into the lower end of the stile and a screw member which threads to different settings into the cap body. The screw member has a head portion which protrudes from the cap body and which has a cam shaped bottom face to cam over a leveling surface i.e., a shutter frame below the vertical stile of the shutter.
According to an aspect of the invention the end cap assembly including both the cap body and the threaded member are made from a plastic material to be used in a plastic window shutter.